Style File: Rasha Khouri

The mastermind and visionary behind Dia Boutique shares her life's passions with Jemma Nicholls.

Rasha Khouri, the mastermind and visionary behind Dia Boutique, talks about her passions and favourite things. Courtesy Dia Style
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Rasha Khouri is the mastermind and visionary behind Dia-style.com. Her online store, featuring women's ready-to-wear, jewellery and accessories from global luxury brands and designers, is the first e-commerce fashion website in the Middle East in both English and Arabic. Khouri, who grew up in New York, Paris, Beirut and London, launched her career as an investment banker at JP Morgan in New York. She later merged her interest in fashion with finance as a luxury goods analyst with Merrill Lynch and UBS in London. "I am an avid user of technology and all things digital, plus I love fashion and wanted to be able to browse luxury designers and buy items from anywhere in the world from a single online destination rather than spending time switching between multiple sites," says Khouri, 35. Launched in the UK and the UAE in February, DIA-style partners with several global e-tailers including, Net-A-Porter.com, my-wardrobe.com and directional London luxury boutiques Browns and Matches and offers more than 40,000 luxury products, which can be shipped to the Middle East. When she's not travelling the globe for business, Khouri can be found in London relaxing in Holland Park, or enjoying the views by the Thames. She talks to Jemma Nicholls about her passions and favourite things.


RASHA'S WORLD

THE AMBITIONS I STILL HAVE ARE... to learn another language. I like to be able to interact with people in their own language. I would also like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR IS... setting up the first e-commerce site for luxury goods in Arabic. BEING STYLISH MEANS... feeling comfortable at any occasion. I MOST ADMIRE... my grandmother, who had a fabulous, quick wit. WHAT DRIVES ME ON IS... the thrill of hearing positive comments on our site and constantly striving to improve its functionality. THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN IS... "Dare to fail gloriously" by my seventh-grade drama teacher. FIVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME ARE... open, enthusiastic, curious, passionate and focused. MY PERFECT WEEKEND IS... a long walk, and dinner with friends.